Living in the Achterhoek - the word literally means 'back corner' although those who are in a less generous mood or perhaps pining for the bustling metroplis of their former tropical home may call is the arse end - of Holland has several advantages, not all of them immediately obvious. No, we can't get digital tv. But we do have a couple of good kinderboerderijen - that's petting farms to you non-Cloggies out there. The closest one to us is Strubbert, on the main drag between Lochem and Holten. It's of course been about 3 years since we last visited, so it was all new to the boys (again).
Actually there's not that many animals to pet, apart from baby goats so cute I had great trouble restraining myself from stuffing one in my handbag and just leaving with it. I'm sure those minature goats would happily live in the rabbit house...
...this isn't a criticsim by the way; I can't imagine that many animals like being harrassed by kids chasing them around all day and the expressions on the donkeys and lhamas faces didn't encourage me to try and sneak into their enclosures. Kids should be taught to repsect an animals personal space, not treat it like a piece of playground equipment.
There is however a good playground, spread over four hectares, plus a maze, flying fox, and lots of other cool stuff to play on. The day we turned up was Smurf Party!! Fun!! For Everyone!! The combination of all those exclamation marks and the sight of blue-painted men and women leaping manically around and speaking in squeaky voices soon induced the peculiar sensation that someone may have laced my coffee wtih a substance rather more psychedelic than sugar, but the kids loved it.
It's a nice relaxed place to visit if you've got little kids and I imagine we'll be there again this summer for a couple of visits. By next year Niels will no doubt consider himeself far to grown up to visit such a place, so I'm going to fit in as many baby goat cuddles as possible before then. Perhaps I could just stuff one down my shirt on the way out...
It's a nice relaxed place to visit if you've got little kids and I imagine we'll be there again this summer for a couple of visits. By next year Niels will no doubt consider himeself far to grown up to visit such a place, so I'm going to fit in as many baby goat cuddles as possible before then. Perhaps I could just stuff one down my shirt on the way out...
1 comment:
"Kids should be taught to repsect an animals personal space, not treat it like a piece of playground equipment."
Which they will not learn in your averag effing kinderhoerderij. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
No sheep?
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